Colorful Creatures in the Air

Watching colorful creatures is one of my favorite past times. I am intrigued by the way that birds, butterflies, and insects flash color changes, sparkle and move through space. I have also enjoyed watching out for the art of others who make colorful creatures out of various mediums. I hope you enjoy these colorful creature images from my studio folder...they are inspirational to me!

Hand and machine sewn Moths with beaded details.

Origami birds on a tree branch.

Colorful insect...love the patterning on the body.

The determined look on this bird's face is great.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Building Value in American Handmade Fine Craft

I wrote this article for ArtsyShark, a wonderful resource that inspires artists to build better businesses. I encourage you to visit ArtsyShark and see if any of their resources will be of service to you.

The concept of fine craft, as well as fine art, I think we can all agree, include words like excellence, standards, and quality. When I hear of a master-crafted item, I think about something out of the ordinary or beyond the usual.  I think of an object that inspires awe.

My background in American-made craft began in the mid-1970s when I was part of the team that published Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in Colorado. Much of my workday saw me helping people focus their love of sewing and playing with color into either a serious hobby or a legitimate profession in the quilting arts. The flourishing quilt industry of the 70’s was yet another cycle of the growing love affair Americans have had with handmade soft goods for the home that, if not master-crafted, were at least laboriously made with great love and attention to detail.

My mom, Bonnie Leman, who was the founding editor of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, helped her readers improve their quilt making skills, and encouraged them to seek out that awe-inspiring result. She also invested heavily in helping them believe in the value of their handmade fiber arts. This resurgence of improving excellence across an ever-growing body of quilt makers in America was in full swing when big-box stores like Sears began importing bed quilts from China. I observed that anyone who had ever attempted to create a quilt knew that these quilts were not inspiring, they were heartbreaking. In a commercially-driven attempt to profit on the growing demand for quilts in American homes, the value proposition of these objects as an art form was trashed, at least temporarily.

It was interesting for me to observe at this time that the women within this industry, who had spent the past 10-15 years helping one another grow in their expertise as fiber artists, be put in the position to belittle the quilt-making efforts of other women in China. 

My own value system was challenged by this “us vs. them” mentality. I also observed that the glut of these cheaply made quilts made an economic impact on professional American fiber artists, as well as specialty fabrics stores and entrepreneurs across the United States. In fact, I suggest that the fiber arts in America as a broad class of industry are still recovering.

Now that the Internet has so drastically changed the way that people shop, imports into our neighboring stores is only one part of the supply chain. Professional fiber artists in every country have had to learn how to promote the value of what they make to the entire world.

So what can artists and craftspeople do today to both build value and express the value of what they love to make? 

• Concentrate on the absolute value of your creation. For professional fiber artists, that includes quality materials, expert finishing techniques, and professional-quality photos. We sell not only an object, but we sell how that object makes our customers feel.

• Recognize both your expertise and your vulnerabilities. Speak to yourself in terms of valuing your artistic life. Treat yourself with respect at all times. Additionally, reach out to others. We can be the support other artists need on any given day. This can take the form of emotional support, being a collector of their work, and as a supporter of the arts.

• Balance competitive energies with consensus-building. When I market my fiber folk art, I have to both remember and forget that I do not compete with the soft goods sold at Target. I am aware that my customers have a wide variety of choices, so they will likely know about the $9 pillows at Target, but my ideal customer is not interested in filling her home with cheap imports. Instead of thinking about competing on price, I build consensus and community as part of my marketing efforts. I proudly express the quality of what I make and I seek to have that message resonate with my “just-right” audience.

•  Use the power of the Internet to express the benefits of supporting wholesome, handmade fine craft, in America and beyond! This effort helps the individual artist as well as it helps the entire arts community. We can work together to create awe-inspiring results, and this adds to the healthy future of our beloved creativity!

I would love to hear what your experiences are of buying or making craft and how you see the value of handmade items in your part of the world!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Now on my Worktable at Nestle And Soar

There are lots of bright colors and warm wools being played with this week in my fiber art studio. Three distinct handmade bird pillow designs are in the works! There is still some hand embroidery needed to finish the details on these soft, eco-chic designs. I would love to know what you think? Which of these birds are you most likely to see where you live?

Northern Cardinal, Copyright 2013, Georgianne Holland

Blackbird on Sunflower, Copyright 2013, Georgianne Holland

Orange Bird on Nest, Copyright 2013, Georgianne Holland

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Spring Snow in Colorado--A Peaceful Pause

Snow Day in Colorado, April 16, 2013

The view from my dining room window is calm and quiet. Living about halfway between Denver and Boulder in colorful Colorado, I have come to expect snow in April, and this year is no exception. Can you see from my photo that there is almost 20" of white, fluffy snow in my backyard? We are all so grateful for this much-needed moisture.

My bird feeders have been almost emptied out today--I will need to trudge through the snow and refill them to satisfy demand! That's alright. It is a small price to pay for the joy that I receive from watching the birds on a day like today.

Bird Party on my kitchen table!

There are other birds in my life that I am enjoying today! I thought I would share with you my five gorgeous Jaclin Dunne bird trinket boxes. I have

received each of these bejeweled, hinged boxes as a gift from either my sisters or my mom. What I really enjoy are little notes or surprises they slip inside (each bird hinges open)!

I usually have these treasures scattered about my home, and I love how the sunlight makes them sparkle! Today, I rounded them up on my kitchen table to enjoy them as a group. I love them. Thanks ladies!

The peaceful pause that I am taking today is very healing to me. I lift up my voice with yours as I contemplate the alarming events in Boston, Massachusetts during the past 24 hours. Here is a quote that is giving me solace today. I hope it is helpful to you, as well.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne

Earth Day Give-Away: Awesome Tote Bag for You!

I hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day on Monday, April 22nd! In looking around my studio, I realized I could continue on the path of operating an environmentally savvy art studio by donating some of the fabric overflow I've stashed for years. It seems to me that kids learning to sew in the after-school program in our community could better use that fabric: it will save them money and it breathe new life into that fabric stash!

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day? The first Earth Day happened on April 22, 1970, and over 20 million Americans from all walks of life  participated, which is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. "Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world."

I would like to announce the first EARTH DAY GIVE AWAY here at Nestle and Soar! Most of us like to use canvas tote bags instead of plastic or paper bags, and I always keep my eyes open for fun, washable totes to use! Tell me in a comment to this blog post how you plan to celebrate Earth Day, and you will be entered into a drawing to receive a sturdy Nestle And Soar Tote Bag of your very own! From the posted comments, I will randomly draw one winner on May 1st. You will be notified of your awesome winner status and this great tote bag will be mailed to you with my compliments.

I hope you will all enter to win, and it would be great to have your friends enter, too! Let's make a nice long list of ways Earth Day will be celebrated in 2013! We will learn from each other and be part of a hugely successful worldwide movement to honor mother Earth.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Storage Inspiration for Creative Women

Do you consider yourself to be an organized person? I thought I was, too, until I found out about the creative women who came up with these wonderful storage solutions. Now I just think I am inspired to be organized.

I love labels. I love signage. The world needs more signage.

Clear plastic bins are genius. Clear bins with labels: super genius.

I am a big fan of doors on storage. Dust happens, and these doors minimize that.

Messy food containers are a pet peeve of mine: this is a great system!

If you have fond memories about the Dewey Decimal System, like I do, these drawers are extra special.

I hope you feel organizationally inspired! I know that my garage needs to not only be organized, but hosed out. Perhaps that chore will make it to the top of my priority list on the next warm Colorado day....after I walk around the lake, that is. And refill the bird feeders. And eat an ice cream cone...while reading. But once I get to it, you have to know, there will be labels.

Thanks for stopping by!
Georgianne